Relocating a pet from United Kingdom to Fiji follows a clear path once you understand what Fiji asks for. This is one of the more demanding routes, so allow around 16-24 weeks and treat the timeline as fixed. Plan for 30 days of quarantine …
In short:
Preparing to move a pet from United Kingdom to Fiji
typically takes around 16-24 weeks.
Expect 30 days of quarantine on arrival.
Regulations checked
Prepared and reviewed by Pet Transport Global Editorial Team
Step by step
The United Kingdom to Fiji pet import process
Each step must be completed in a precise sequence. Start early. We manage every stage and deadline.
1
Confirm the microchip is fitted before any vaccination is given.
Responsible: Your UK vet
As early as possible, before step 2.
2
Core vaccinations and rabies vaccination given, at least 30 days before the planned blood draw.
Responsible: Your UK vet
4-5 months before travel.
3
Rabies neutralising antibody titre blood draw, sent to a laboratory, timed so it falls between 60 days and 12 months before the export date.
Responsible: Your vet and the laboratory
Around 3-4 months before travel.
4
Apply for the BAF import permit via baf.com.fj, once vaccination and titre paperwork are in hand.
Responsible: You or your agent
As soon as the titre result is confirmed. Allow 5 working days for processing; the permit is then valid for 6 months.
5
Book the Koronivia Post Entry Quarantine slot with BAF.
Responsible: You or your agent
At least 1 month before travel; spaces are limited.
6
Book the flight routing. There is no direct UK to Fiji service, so this means a transfer via Sydney, Auckland or another Pacific gateway onto Fiji Airways.
Responsible: You or your agent
6-8 weeks before travel.
7
Defra 2919EHC issued by an APHA-authorised OV, using the Defra template rather than BAF's model certificate.
Responsible: APHA-authorised OV
Within the certificate's stated validity window before travel.
8
Travel, then transfer directly to Koronivia PEQ for the minimum 30-day quarantine, followed by monitored home quarantine.
Responsible: BAF and owner
30 days minimum at Koronivia, then vet checks roughly every 10 days for 6 months.
Requirements
What your pet needs to enter Fiji
Every item below must be in place before your pet can travel. We manage and verify each one.
Microchip
ISO-compatible microchip (AVID, Trovan, Destron or ISO standard) required before any vaccination is given. Source: baf.com.fj, Bringing Cats, Dogs and Other Pets to Fiji, checked 13 July 2026.
Rabies vaccination
Required at least 30 days before export. Dogs also need distemper, infectious canine hepatitis, parvovirus and parainfluenza vaccinations; cats need feline enteritis, rhinotracheitis and calicivirus vaccinations, all at least 30 days and not more than 12 months before export. Source: baf.com.fj, checked 13 July 2026.
Rabies titre test
Third-party relocation guidance describing BAF's own risk framework places UK-origin pets in the same 'Group B' tier as continental Europe and the USA, which requires a rabies neutralising antibody titre test carried out between 60 days and 12 months before the export date. BAF does not publish a single definitive country-by-country list, so confirm the UK's exact classification directly with BAF when you apply for the import permit. Source: BAF import permit guidance and third-party relocation sources describing the Group A/Group B framework, checked 13 July 2026.
Quarantine
Mandatory. Group B-origin pets, the tier UK animals fall into under this framework, face a minimum 30-day stay at BAF's government Post Entry Quarantine (PEQ) station at Koronivia, Nausori, followed by home quarantine with vet checks roughly every 10 days for six months, then further checks at 9 months and 1 year. Guide and service dogs may be exempted from the PEQ stay on a case-by-case basis with full documentation. Source: baf.com.fj, checked 13 July 2026.
Import permit
Import permit required from BAF before departure, applied for via baf.com.fj or by emailing animalimports@baf.com.fj, with a fee due at submission. Processing takes around 5 working days. The permit is valid for 6 months from issue and must accompany the animal on arrival. Source: baf.com.fj, checked 13 July 2026.
Health certificate
The UK-side certificate must be the Defra 2919EHC, completed by an APHA-authorised OV. BAF's own model certificate attached to the import permit is for reference only, not a substitute. Source: GOV.UK/APHA, Notes for Guidance 2919NFG, checked 13 July 2026.
Export permit (United Kingdom)
No general UK export permit for a single non-commercial pet. The operative document is Export Health Certificate model 2919EHC, the Defra template published specifically for dogs and cats travelling from the UK to Fiji. Source: GOV.UK/APHA, Notes for Guidance 2919NFG, checked 13 July 2026.
Costs
What this route typically costs
Defra 2919EHC and OV consultation (UK side): GBP 200-350
Rabies titre test at a UK laboratory: GBP 150-300
BAF import permit fee: around FJD 100 (roughly GBP 35). Confirm the current figure directly with BAF before applying.
Koronivia PEQ quarantine facility fee for the 30-day minimum stay: FJD 1,500-3,000 (roughly GBP 530-1,060), more if any health issue extends the stay. Confirm the current figure directly with BAF.
IATA-compliant travel crate: GBP 80-400 depending on breed size
Cargo from London to Nadi via a Sydney or Auckland transfer: GBP 1,800-4,500
Specialist agent fee (strongly recommended given the permit, quarantine booking and routing all need to line up): GBP 500-1,200
Typical all-in total for a mid-size dog: GBP 3,500-8,000 or more, before the six months of Fiji-based vet check visits that follow release from PEQ. This is a planning estimate, not a quote.
Critical points to read before you book
The 30-day Koronivia quarantine is not a penalty for weak paperwork. Fiji groups UK-origin pets with continental Europe under its own risk framework, not with the shorter 7-day tier used for Australia and New Zealand, so the stay applies even to a pet with a flawless titre test result.
BAF attaches its own model export certificate to the import permit paperwork, but APHA guidance is explicit that your OV must complete only the Defra 2919EHC. Using the wrong form is a genuine, avoidable way to delay or block the import.
No airline flies London to Fiji directly. Every pet needs at least one live-animal transfer, most realistically via Sydney or Auckland onto Fiji Airways, arranged as manifest cargo and confirmed on both legs before you book dates.
Airlines
Carriers approved for this route
Not all airlines accept live animals on this route. We know which carriers to use and how to book.
QANTAS
Qantas
No routing all the way to Nadi, but a realistic first or second leg via Sydney, where the animal transfers onto Fiji Airways for the final hop.
Cargo Only
BRITISH
British Airways / IAG Cargo
Handles the UK-origin leg out of Heathrow. Bookings go through PetAir UK, which then needs to coordinate the connecting leg with whichever carrier reaches Fiji.
Cargo Only
EMIRATES
Emirates
Via its Dubai hub, useful as a middle leg on a routing that ends with a transfer onto Fiji Airways from Sydney or another Pacific gateway.
Cargo Only
The rules for bringing a pet into Fiji
Fiji takes biosecurity seriously, and the requirements reflect that. The paperwork is exacting, so accuracy matters as much as timing.
How to keep this move on track
Keep every original document together and take copies. Border officials want originals, and a missing signature or date can hold up clearance.
Work backwards from your travel date and add a buffer. Fixed waiting periods mean a single slipped appointment can push the whole move back by weeks.
Check the airline’s crate size and labelling rules early. An undersized or wrongly labelled crate is a frequent reason pets are refused at check-in.
Ask about temperature embargoes for your travel window. Summer and winter cargo restrictions can rule out certain routes and dates entirely.
FAQ
Common questions about United Kingdom to Fiji pet transport
Yes. UK-origin pets fall into BAF’s Group B risk tier, which carries a mandatory minimum 30-day stay at the government Post Entry Quarantine station at Koronivia, Nausori, followed by monitored home quarantine for up to a year. This applies even with a complete, correctly timed titre test. Source: baf.com.fj, checked 13 July 2026.
Fiji’s import framework classifies countries by risk tier rather than by each country’s individual rabies status. The UK sits in the same Group B tier as continental Europe, not the shorter Group A tier used for Australia and New Zealand, so the 30-day minimum applies regardless of the UK’s own rabies-free record. Confirm the current classification directly with BAF, since it is not published as a single definitive list.
The Defra export health certificate model 2919EHC, completed by an APHA-authorised Official Veterinarian. Fiji’s import permit paperwork includes a separate model certificate for reference only; APHA guidance instructs OVs to disregard that version and use only the Defra 2919EHC. Source: GOV.UK/APHA, Notes for Guidance 2919NFG, checked 13 July 2026.
No single carrier flies the whole route. The realistic booking is a transfer via Sydney or Auckland, where the animal changes to Fiji Airways for the leg into Nadi, arranged as manifest cargo and confirmed with a specialist agent on both legs.
Airline guides
Qantas
British Airways / IAG Cargo
Emirates
Breed guides
Check breed-specific airline rules and country bans.